How do I keep the kitty out of the Christmas tree?

Dec 10, 2012 3:53 AM

It's been many years since I've had an inside cat during Christmas, so perhaps I've just forgotten. Camry is 8 months old now and when we brought the tree into the house a little while ago she went nuts! She has never been that interested in catnip! I have pulled her out of the middle of the tree about a dozen times, scolded, swatted, and finally locked her in another room. She would climb under the branches and up the trunk while we were stringing the lights, I would grab her by the collar and pull her out, scold her soundly, and she would dash around me and do it all over again. Egads! I think the tree smells great, too, but I'M not climbing up the trunk!

I read that there are things I can spray on the tree (and the poinsettia, etc.) that should repulse her, but so far the home remedies I've found are useless. Any tips? I don't want to be fighting this throughout the holidays. Help!

Top Answers

You don't. You make it as safe as you can. Put a hook in the ceiling and secure the tree to that so it doesn't fall over. Use it for a hanging plant or something the rest of the year. Use unbreakable ornaments or at least ones you don't care about.

Cats respond well to water. We had a cat that wouldn't stop knocking ornaments off the bottom of the tree one year and a water pistol did wonders. Just a little blast when she would get near the tree. After a few times, she didn't want to be anywhere near the tree anymore.

Most Christmas lights should be rated for outdoor use as well as indoor use, so there shouldn't be any worries about getting a little water on them in the process but you may want to double check just to be sure.

Same situation here! I am armed with a squirt bottle. Jake is figuring out that getting near the tree means getting wet. I also kept my favorite/fragile ornaments in the box. No since inviting trouble.
My only other suggestion, is to get a scat mat. They're available in lots of sizes. That would protect the tree while you are not home. Kitty says - don't taze me bro!

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Cats respond well to water. We had a cat that wouldn't stop knocking ornaments off the bottom of the tree one year and a water pistol did wonders. Just a little blast when she would get near the tree. After a few times, she didn't want to be anywhere near the tree anymore.

Most Christmas lights should be rated for outdoor use as well as indoor use, so there shouldn't be any worries about getting a little water on them in the process but you may want to double check just to be sure.

You don't. You make it as safe as you can. Put a hook in the ceiling and secure the tree to that so it doesn't fall over. Use it for a hanging plant or something the rest of the year. Use unbreakable ornaments or at least ones you don't care about.

I ran guy wires (almost invisible fishing line) from near the top of the tree to the walls (attached to hooks in the moulding) so that the tree could not tip over. Then I ignored them and let them climb.

Same situation here! I am armed with a squirt bottle. Jake is figuring out that getting near the tree means getting wet. I also kept my favorite/fragile ornaments in the box. No since inviting trouble.
My only other suggestion, is to get a scat mat. They're available in lots of sizes. That would protect the tree while you are not home. Kitty says - don't taze me bro!

Not sure how to keep them out, but like others have said, make sure that tree is secure! The first year we had a kitten and a Christmas tree in the house together, that tree went down in the middle of the night. Nothing like that sound to wake you up, not to mention needing to decorate the tree a second time.

The next year we had wires attached to the wall to secure the tree. We found those wires more of a hazard to the humans in the house, though. The next year my husband modified our tree stand. It is now firmly attached to a large sheet of plywood. We then put a 20-pound weight on the plywood. The tree skirt covers it just fine, and the tree cannot possibly tip over.

I second (fifth, whatever) the squirt bottle. If you aren't bothered by the look of it, you might also try spreading some aluminum foil on the floor around the tree -- cats generally hate the feel of it. Of course, that might just encourage the cat to get a running start and take a flying leap into the tree, so do with that what you will. Or possibly set some foil sheets on the lower branches until the cat loses interest.

You don't! I have many pictures of my cats and tree! Sometimes in it, sometimes just near it. We have a small 5 foot tree we put on a table and the secured to the ceiling with a fishing line. Worked well. We don't put fragile ornaments on the tree anymore, nor do we use tinsel (the one kitty eats it, then promptly throws it up). Fortunately the kitties eventually got bored of trying to climb it, but they will still sit next to it or investigate the water dish. Now, it's just my moms cat that sees it. My cats are locked in my room. I'm terrified to think of what my little monsters would do with a tree. I'm pretty sure the Siamese would wreck it in about five minutes flat. One of these days, I'm going to set up a small one just to see how she reacts.

@baybei: at least your cat threw up the tinsel. we haven't used it since i was a wee lad, b/c the cat we had then ate some, kept it down, and no one was the wiser until he had sparkly poops dragging behind him still attached by the tinsel.
mom had to follow him with scissors for a day or two.....

I don't remember him ever trying to climb up into the tree, just playing with, trying to eat the low hanging ornaments. of course we have always had artificial trees...
cat we have now, doesn't try to climb up into the tree, but we have caught her "tasting" the pretty led lights..

We banned Camry from the living room over night. As soon as she got out she headed straight for the tree again. As much as possible I've been keeping watch with a spray bottle and have zapped her a few times. [Note: Scientists always seem to say that negative reinforcement like this makes the animal associate the negative action with the behavior, not with the human who administered the action. BALOGNA! Camry watches the spray bottle AND me as she sneaks back toward the tree!)

The good news is that, although Camry is still enamored of the tree, she isn't actually climbing up into it today, just cruising around the bottom, batting at and nibbling the lower branches. Hopefully the novelty is wearing off.

The bad news is that I've discovered that I have a latent sadistic streak and have been enjoying the heck out of zapping the cat with a squirt of water. Do you think this places me on the naughty list?

@earlyre: Oh...fun...NOT! Yes, thankfully she throws it up. We still won't use it though, we've switched to those bead garlands that look like mardi-gras beads. It still looks pretty and no worries the cat will be sick.

@belyndag: I just saw a piece on the local morning news show about how to select a tree. The guy who works at the Christmas tree farm said some people prefer Spruce trees because they are more prickly than other types of trees and deter cats from climbing. Doesn't help you this year, but I guess it's something to keep in mind for next year.

@spacezorro: Not too late for me! The tree is gone, but she's still into things she shouldn't be into. Funny coincidence, just yesterday I finally located my missing can of compressed air and was cleaning my laptop. You're right! She was startled every time I shot it at anything! If all it takes is the sound to scare her away from something, this would be a lot cleaner and neater than squirting water at her (and across the furniture). Thanks for the suggestion!

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